Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-05-14

until the evening was well advanced.
Hortense awaited him, seated by the
fire. She was still weeping.
The open locket was on the mantel.
Emile who was greatly embarrassed,
mechanically turned his eyes toward it,
then uttered cry. His portrait had
replaced that of Paul in the locket.
'.What does it mean?" he exclaimed.
"Hortense, what have you done?"
Leave me!'' she said, taking the
locket and slipping it into her bosom.
leave mel Do not speak to mel l
am mad!"
.'MadP" repeated Emile, really fright
ened.
"Ah, you see nothing! You UNDER
stand nothing!' cried the young girl, a
prey to violent passion. you do not
see, then, that this existence is impos-
sible! You do not understand that l
adore you, and that this life of deceit
and constraint is killing me!'
And throwing her arms about him
she let her head fall with sigh on the
breast of the young man, who trembled
violently.
When he had recovered from his agi-
tation he disengaged himself from the
embrace of the young girl, and, lead
ing her to seat, said to her, in a brok-
en- voice:
"And /, Hortense, adore you"
''Ah, my GodT" exclaimed Hortense,
with great joy.
LET me speak, adore you! Ihave
loved you for long time. have
Struggled in vain against this passion,
fool that I was! How could help low
ingyouP"
'Let me speak. When I perceived
that this love had taken possession Of
my heart the memory of Paul came to
me like reproach. At this very mo-
ment see him before me, the embodi-
ment of my remorse.'"
II love you!" stammered Hortense.
''Be silent! Such words must not be
spoken. Poor boy! he is calm as he
stands there, trusting in our honor,
counting upon your loyalty, upon my
word, and re"
He stopped, choked by his tears.
''Why is Paul not here?" said Hor-
tense.
because he has confidence in u.s.
Whatever it costs me. will not betray
i'll will rather die!'
"And l will die too!'
They paused, and a strange look
passed between them like a magnetic
current. All their accumulated ideas,
all their emotions, seemed to fix them
selves upon that one thought of death,
which had suddenly presented itself as
a refuge or an expiration.
'tOh, yes!' said Hortense, summing
up all her impressions in that second,
81 would rather die than think Of"
She did not finish. She was about to
pronounce the name of Paul.
Emile took her hands, and, gazing in
her face as if he would read her
thoughts, said, slowly and mournfully:
''You wish it?''
Hortense raised herself to her full
height and said, calmly and solemnly:
'sAt once"
They threw themselves into each 9TH
er's arms and remained in a long en-
brace.
They were about to pronounce their
own sentence of death.
Early the next morning the postman
presented himself at Emile's lodging
with letter bearing the postmark Of
New Orleans.
He knocked in vain at the door. No
one answered the summons. The post
man was about to go away, when one
of Emile's neighbors, woman, called
him back, saying that Emile was in his
lodging.
The postman knocked again. Sud-
denly the woman turned pale.
"Do you notice nothingP" she asked,
in frightened tone.
ENo.n
"That odor. 1t is of gas. My God!
has there been an accidentp"
The porter was questioned and said
that late on the previous night Emile
had gone out to buy bushel of char
coal.
The neighbor remembered that sew
eral times on the preceding evening
her eyes swollen and red from weep
ing.
"Without doubt" she exclaimed,
"they have persisted. The authorities
should be warned"
This was done and the door was OPP
ened.
The fears Of Emile's neighbor proved
to have been not without cause. The
two young people were found senseless
and cold Hortense on the bed and
Emile in a chair. Every care was be-
slowed upon them, but all efforts to re-
vive Emile were useless. The fumes of
the charcoal had done their work-he
was dead.
Hortense still breathed, and they
succeeded in reviving her. When she
came to her senses the officer of the
law proceeded to open before her the
letter addressed to Emile.
1t contained only these words:
My DEAR FRIEND: Receive my wishes
for the happiness both of yourself and
your little wife, for you know that l am
not fool enough to think that you have
waited for my permssionto make love to
Hortense. DO not regret this little breach
Of trust on your part. l have been married
a month. PAUL.
Hortense, when she had heard the
letter read, rose and ran to the chair in
which lay the corpse of Emile, and,
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